7. Stay That Way

Lilian was still trying to figure out how she got into this situation.

All she'd thought her email would do was allow her to talk to Braylon, apologize and figure out a way out of this mess.

Instead, she was waiting in her apartment for him to text he was on his way back.

He'd dropped her off, but not before they exchanged numbers. He went home to change while she took a quick shower and found her nicest pair of jeans, one of her silky work shirts and nude pumps.

She wanted to keep this dinner on the casual side but that didn't mean she wasn't going to at least look the best she could.

Her hair was brushed. She was going to put a bit more wave in and decided against it. She had straight hair and if she changed too much it'd look like she was trying too hard.

This was just a second date. They would find out more about each other and then what the next step would be.

Part of her wanted to stop wearing this ring. Not only was it cheap and she feared that it'd start to show as fake, but it might be an insult to Braylon now that she knew who he was.

Once her makeup was freshened, she sat on the couch and tried to think of anything she could to pass the time.

When her phone went off ten minutes later, she saw it was Braylon saying he was fifteen minutes out.

She hoped he didn't want to come up and see her place. She wouldn't let that happen. She'd be waiting for him outside.

She picked her iPad up and played two games knowing that would kill some time. Then saw he would arrive any minute and went downstairs to wait outside.

When the town car pulled to the curb a building down, she made her way toward it. Braylon got out of the back and opened the door for her, held it and then climbed in after.

No man had ever done that before to her. She wasn't even sure how she felt about it.

"We are just going a few blocks for dinner," he said. "Nothing fancy."

He had jeans on too, a button-down shirt and some basic sneakers on his feet that probably still cost a few hundred. She had no clue of the name. To her, she stuck to the common names in footwear.

As a kid she would have been thrilled to own a pair of Nikes.

"I don't do fancy well," she said.

Might as well be as honest as she could.

It was still early yet at a little after seven on a Friday night so not much nightlife action.

At the restaurant they pulled up to, there was somewhat of a line, but he was able to walk right by to the hostess table.

"Good evening, Braylon. They've got a table for you in the back."

"Thank you," he said.

"I guess people knowing you does have its advantages." And this worried her that more people would see them out. She'd made sure to ditch her ring. No reason to have it on when she was with him.

Maybe they could talk about her not wearing it anymore anyway. She'd wait though. She just needed to get through this night.

"West owns this restaurant," he said. "We come here often and they've got a few private dining rooms in the back. I thought you might feel more comfortable with that."

She let out a breath. It was a pub they'd entered. If it were located anywhere other than where it was, it might be a place she'd check out.

"Yeah, thanks for that," she said.

When they got to the back of the restaurant, there was a server there that let them in. There was a big round table in the center, but they sat next to each other.

"Did you end up kicking someone out?" he asked.

"No," the server said. "The smaller rooms were taken. You said you didn't mind where you were sat."

"I don't," he said. "I just didn't want to put anyone out either."

"Never," the server said. "What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll take Elias's newest IPA that was tapped this week," he said.

"It's getting a lot of rave reviews," the server said.

"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that. I can pass that on," he said.

"I'll just take a club soda with lime," Lilian said. Once the server moved out of the room, she asked, "Who is Elias?"

"One of our brothers. He owns a brewery in North Carolina. How about some history on me and then I can get some on you? Sound like a place to start?"

"Sure," she said. Though she'd play it by ear what she told. "I bet I could find out a lot about you online, but I don't like doing that."

"I appreciate it," he said. "First, West is the oldest, he's thirty-six. Soon to be thirty-seven. I'm next at thirty-three. Then there is Laken, she's thirty-one. She is Vice President of Acquisitions. She has a degree in communications too."

"That's awesome," she said. "I think that is what I hoped for. To be able to be like some kind of consultant or person that was a go-between in departments or businesses."

"Laken is a great person to give you some pointers," he said.

Not that she thought she'd be meeting his siblings, but she'd play along. "I'm sure she's worked hard to get where she is."

"She has," he said. "I appreciate you saying that too. I know a lot of people think we might be given a free ride, but that isn't the case. West has worked the hardest. He was eighteen when my father was killed overseas. He stepped up into the father role, but he also went to college."

"And you're the second oldest, so at fifteen you had to have stepped up also."

"I did. After Laken, is Foster, he's twenty-nine and is Vice President of Technology. He hates the city and lives on Long Island where all the servers are."

"That's nice your brother did that," she said.

"West is a nice guy though he has a reputation otherwise. Family first and then business, but people don't see that. He always puts everyone in a position to thrive. Foster would hate living anywhere other than where he is."

"West sounds like my older sister, Quinn."

"Do I get to hear about her?"

"You do," she said. "Continue on though. There are three more of your siblings I haven't heard about."

He laughed. "Next is Elias. He has the brewery. As you can tell, the three after West all work for him directly out of his corporate offices. Elias wanted to brew, West found a struggling brewery close to home and acquired it."

She grinned. "I'm sure there is more to it than that."

"Not really," he said. "They were willing to sell for the right price. This way everything was set up for Elias to get to work. He scrapped their brew. He wanted no part of it. He had his own. Those who had jobs already could stay and change or go and he'd hire new. He's thriving doing things his way, even if West didn't agree at first."

"Did they butt heads?"

"Nope," he said. "West is smart that way. He had faith in Elias and let him do what he did best. If sales showed otherwise, West would step in, but my little brother is killing it."

"Are any of you little because you're pretty tall?"

She was guessing he was a few inches over six feet. "The girls are on the smaller side, but the guys are all over six feet. Some have more muscle than others. I think Elias and Rowan are the biggest, but they don't sit at a desk."

"Rowan?" she asked. The names were all on the different side.

"He is sibling number six and lives in California. He's a true surfer dude and even has his own business. He's a surf shaper in Long Beach."

"Surf shaper?" she asked.

"He does custom surfboards. He's got a huge following and pros use his equipment. If you don't surf, it's hard to keep up."

"I don't," she said. "I'm not much of a swimmer."

She'd never learned and it was one of those fears. She thought living on the lake with her sister, she'd learn, but she just couldn't. She always stayed in standing distance when she was floating in the sun on a tube.

"The last of the boys is Nelson. He's twenty-four and on the cocky side. He has his MBA and wants to be West when he grows up. He has no home base and goes where West puts him. He's got a lot of growing up to do though. When I left from our lunch yesterday it was Nelson running his mouth while trying to get some information for West on one of the businesses in Utah."

She cringed over the comment about Nelson needing some growing up to do. The guy was the same age as her.

"Not everyone is like that at twenty-four," she said.

"No," he said. "I wasn't and neither were any of my other siblings. Part of Nelson's problem is, he just really wants West's attention."

"And West is busy?" she asked.

"It's complicated. We all have to work our way up. Nelson just wants it handed to him and he's got to learn it's not that easy. Must be the last two of the bunch. Talia is the baby and just graduated from college in May. She hasn't figured out what she wants to do right now. She's still living at home and has some jewelry and accessory lines on Etsy. West will give her a chance somewhere but not until she comes up with a business plan."

Lilian started to laugh. "I think I've got a good head on my shoulders though you might not think that with everything that's happened. But I couldn't come up with a business plan."

He grinned, then turned when their drinks were brought in with a basket of bread and a Caprese salad. They hadn't ordered any food yet. She hadn't even looked at the menu.

"This is my normal starter," he said. "They know that here. Thanks."

"Do you want to hear the specials?" the server said.

She listened and decided to order the fried fish. It sounded awesome and like nothing she'd make for herself. Braylon got some complicated burger. She was happy they were eating like this over the steaks and seafood dishes. They looked good, but she'd never order something that expensive.

When they were left alone, Braylon said, "West wouldn't hold Talia's feet to the fire. She knows some of what she wants to do, but she has to have a plan. Wanting to move out of the house and expecting West or my mother to pay her bills isn't a plan."

"But you said he supports your family?" she asked.

"He does. He paid for everyone's education. He paid off our student loans. He didn't always have this wealth. Nelson and Talia got the most and you can almost see it in their actions. They don't know what the rest of us had to do to get here."

She could imagine that the youngest two had cars and anything they wanted. She was just lucky that her student loans were on the low end because she got so much financial aid. She might have been able to pay them off having lived with Quinn, but she needed to put money away for this move too so she split her money the best she could.

"That's nice of him," she said. "I bet your mother is very proud of all of you. And your father would be thrilled too."

"We like to think he is," he said. "Tell me about your siblings. It's your turn."

This was where she had to be more guarded. She wasn't going to say much more than what he did. Names, what they did and where they lived.

"Quinn is ten years older than me. She lives in Lake Placid with her husband, Max. She's a stay-at-home mom. She was hired as his nanny years ago when he relocated there. He was living in Rye before that."

"What does he do that he was able to afford a nanny?" he asked.

"He's a plastic surgeon. Max Hamilton. He had a practice here with his father. Or somewhere in New York City. I don't have the details and didn't ask much. He got custody of his kids in his divorce and wanted to give them a quieter life and he opened his practice there. Davy is eighteen and in college. Lara is sixteen. Then Quinn had a daughter, Jocelyn who is five and a son Carson who is three. I lived with them when I wasn't in college and then before I moved here."

"What about your other siblings?" he asked.

"Karl is next. He works in a manufacturing plant. I'm not close with him. I think he's still around the Chicago area, close to my other brother Brett. Brett is married to Annie and they've got two boys. Scotty and Matty."

"So you've got several nieces and nephews."

"I do," she said. "Though I'm closer to Jocelyn and Carson, as I used to babysit them when I lived there. I miss them. I talk to Quinn once a week and the kids get on and talk too. We video chat. Lara is a riot. She texts me a lot."

"What about your parents?" he asked.

She knew this would come up. "I don't know who my father is. We all have different fathers. I'm not close with my mother. We don't talk."

"Looks like we've got enough background on each other," he said. "So tell me things you like to do."

She was glad he wasn't pressing for more on her family. With any luck it would stay that way.